WQXR Blogs List

Bruce Crawford

Bruce Crawford serves as Chairman of the Board of Omnicom Group Inc. Omnicom is the leading marketing and communications holding company in the world, providing advertising, strategic media planning and buying, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries. Included in its roster of companies are some of the world's most renowned advertising agencies, among them BBDO Worldwide, DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc, TBWAWorldwide, and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

Mr. Crawford entered the advertising business in 1956, and worked for Benton & Bowles and Ted Bates advertising agencies before joining BBDO in 1963. He was named to head BBDO's international operations in 1969 and, in 1974, he was given the additional responsibilities of managing the agency's financial and internal operations. Then in April 1985 he was elected BBDO's Chairman of the Board.

A year later Mr. Crawford left the advertising business to become General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera. Three and a half years later, he returned to the business world as President and CEO of Omnicom while continuing to serve at the Met as President and Chief Executive Officer. In 1999 he was named the Met's Honorary Chairman of the Board.

In June of 2002, Mr. Crawford became Chairman of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.; he also serves on the Boards of Venetian Heritage and The Animal Medical Center. He lives in New York with his wife, Christine, an interior designer.

Bruce Crawford appears in the following:

Sunday, April 06, 2003

He startled both the business community and the opera world when he left his position as the head of one of the world's leading advertising firms to become the General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera.

Saturday, November 30, 1985

Lloyd Moss interviews Bruce Crawford, who left a successful career in advertising to become the new general manager of the Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Crawford discusses the musical selections of his choosing.